Media relations is a tough job. You know your event or initiative is newsworthy, but with newsrooms shrinking, competition for coverage is getting tougher than ever.
Sometimes, no matter how good your pitch is, the answer from a newsroom is going to be “no” or even radio silence.
It’s easy to get discouraged, but here’s something worth remembering: A “no” isn’t necessarily a “never.”
Here's an example. We once worked with a client and met with a journalist at a trade publication and pitched a potential content partnership as part of the conversation. We thought some of the profiles we were developing would make great supplemental content for the publication.
The publication politely declined. Darn. It happens.
Months went by, and one day, an email landed in my inbox. They were interested after all.
The timing wasn't right before, but something had changed in those intervening months that made the pitch more appealing. Maybe there were staffing changes. Maybe the publication had new content needs. Whatever the reason, the door had reopened.
Another reason your pitch may not have made the cut? There may simply have been other, higher-priority stories that day.
Here in Nebraska, if the football team has a big announcement, you can probably kiss your chances of coverage goodbye. We've also had reporters who had already committed to covering a client get pulled away to cover breaking news.
Some factors are simply out of your control.
(P.S. That doesn't mean you should throw your hands up. Here's a previous story we wrote about how to remove some of those barriers.)
Of course, sometimes the pitch itself needs a little more work.
One section we include in media advisories is a “Why It Matters” section. It's a simple way to check that you’re communicating why the story matters to the larger community and not just why it matters to your organization.
Are you showing how the initiative solves a community problem, creates jobs, generates economic impact, or addresses a larger need?
The story can't just be about you. It needs to connect to something bigger.
It can be easy to despair when your inbox is filled with rejections. But remember, a missed opportunity today doesn't mean the door is closed forever. The timing may be wrong, the news cycle may be crowded, or your pitch may need a little fine-tuning.
Don’t write off a “no.” You never know when it might turn into a “yes.”